Chicago Bears

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder has been taken to the locker room under evaluation for concussion symptoms. Ponder took a hit to the head late in the second quarter Sunday against Chicago during a rushed third-down throw.

For the Vikings, quarterback Josh Freeman was inactive for the sixth time in eight games on the roster. Cornerback Josh Robinson (sternum) was out for the second straight game, and tight end Kyle Rudolph (foot) was out for the fourth straight game.

The last time the Minnesota Vikings played the Chicago Bears, they were well on their way to an important division victory on the road. Until, that is, Jay Cutler, ruined their day. The Vikings led by six points with 3:15 to play at Soldier Field on Sept. 15. Then Cutler drove the Bears 66 yards, finishing the drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett with 10 seconds to win it. Cutler will not play in the rematch Sunday at the Metrodome because of a high left ankle sprain. A reason for the Vikings to celebrate? Well, they don’t exactly have fond memories of facing backup quarterback Josh McCown, either. Back in 2003, McCown was making his third career start for the lowly Arizona Cardinals in the season finale. The 9-6 Vikings need a win over the 3-12 Cards to clinch the NFC North.

The Minnesota Vikings lost cornerback Xavier Rhodes and wide receiver Joe Webb during the game against the Green Bay Packers with concussions. Neither has formally passed the NFL’s concussion protocol, but the team is still hopeful that will be available Sunday against the Chicago Bears at Mall of America Field. The Vikings listed six players as non-participants, one as a limited participant and four as full participants for Thursday’s practice.

The Minnesota Vikings released A.J. Jefferson hours after he was arrested for a domestic assault claim. The Vikings are now down three healthy cornerbacks on their roster with one on their practice squad. Audie Cole made his start on Sunday and was impressive. He is likely to remain in the starting lineup. The Vikings filled their open roster spot by claiming offensive tackle Mike Remmers off waivers from the San Diego Chargers.

The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers played to a 26-26 tie at Lambeau Field Sunday. The Vikings turned an early seven-point deficit into a 16-point lead early in the fourth quarter. The Packers scored 16 straight points in the fourth quarter, including 10 in the final four minutes to force overtime. Both teams kicked a field goal on their opening drive of overtime and traded punts before time ran out.

The Chicago Bears’ game against the Baltimore Ravens is being delayed because of heavy rain and wind. Play was stopped with just under five minutes left in the first quarter with the Ravens leading 10-0 on Sunday.

The Minnesota Vikings will be without Phil Loadholt Thursday against the Washington Redskins. The starting right offensive tackle suffered a concussion against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Vikings list six players as out for Thursday’s game. They also list two as doubtful, one as questionable and three as probable.

The Minnesota Vikings have only one win through the first quarter of the season, but Cordarrelle Patterson, Xavier Rhodes and Marcus Sherels have played well. The Vikings need Chad Greenway, Erin Henderson, the offensive line and Christian Ponder to step up to get the team back on the right track.

The Minnesota Vikings are preparing to be without tight end Rhett Ellison for Sunday’s home opener against the Cleveland Browns. Undrafted rookie Zach Line is next in line to fill-in for suspended fullback Jerome Felton as Adrian Peterson’s lead blocker. The Vikings had five players listed as limited participants in practice and three players as full participants.

Head coach Leslie Frazier talked Monday at his weekly press conference about second guessing himself during the final drive of the Week 2 loss to the Chicago Bears. There are only three undefeated in the NFC, but the Vikings are still winless. The Vikings preparation for the Cleveland Browns will likely involved three possible starting quarterbacks.

The Minnesota Vikings are expecting to get a big boost from the return of defensive tackle Kevin Williams from injury. The 11-year NFL veteran missed just the third game of his career due to injury. The Vikings have eight players on their injury report, including four full participants and four limited participants.

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams missed practice on Friday due to personal reasons. Coach Leslie Frazier says Williams will be ready to make his season debut on Sunday against Chicago. Williams missed the opener against Detroit with a knee injury. He returned to practice this week and Frazier says his defensive captain is good to go. Williams is listed as probable on the injury report.

The Minnesota Vikings defense has two pieces of good news this week coming off a humbling loss at Detroit in the season opener. First, they expect defensive captain Kevin Williams to be back at defensive tackle after missing the 34-24 loss to the Lions with a knee injury. Second, they don’t have to face Reggie Bush, the Lions running back who torched them for 191 total yards and a touchdown.

The Minnesota Vikings claimed former Chicago Bears offensive tackle J’Marcus Webb and released Troy Kropog Sunday. Head coach Leslie Frazier said that he would talk about injuries on Wednesday, including the right knee of Kevin Williams. The Vikings filled their practice squad roster with eight players.

The Chicago Bears signed D.J. Williams to replace Brian Urlacher at middle linebacker this season. Williams, a nine-year veteran, has been a highly productive player since being taken in the first round of the 2004 draft.

Matt Spaeth is part of the group working at Larry Fitzgerald’s camp. Sit with him and you realize that the young man now has some years in this game. “It’s been a whirlwind to think this is year seven for me. I was just talking to somebody else, I don’t want to say this, but I’m coming up on 30 and to think I’ll be 30 playing in the NFL is just amazing. It’s been a dream come true,” Spaeth said.

The Minnesota Vikings had a disappointing finish to an encouraging season. Jared Allen will undergo surgery on his shoulder after the Pro Bowl later this month. The Vikings now begin preparation for the draft in April and evaluating its 14 free agents.

The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers go at it for third and final time this season Saturday at Lambeau Field. After splitting their two regular season matchups, the rubber match comes in the NFC wild card playoff round.